Newswise — DETROIT — A team of researchers at Wayne State University led by Nikhlesh Singh, Ph.D., associate professor of ophthalmology, visual and anatomical sciences in the School of Medicine, recently published important findings in the journal Experimental and Molecular Medicine This could lead to new treatments to prevent vision loss caused by diseases such as premature retinopathy and some aspects of diabetic retinopathy.
Together with his colleagues Shivantika Bisen, research associate in the Department of Ophthalmology, Visual and Anatomical Sciences at Wayne State University, and Shailendra Kumar Verma of the Center for Infectious Diseases and Vaccine Research at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology in San Diego, the study “A mature form of IL-33 produced by neutrophil elastase is a potent regulator of endothelial cell activation and proliferative retinopathy” investigates alternative treatments for retinal neovascularization, the most common cause of moderate to severe vision loss in premature infants, diabetic patients and the elderly.
“Retinal neovascularization is a process in which abnormal new blood vessels grow in the retina, the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye,” Singh said. “These new vessels are often fragile and can leak or bleed, potentially leading to vision problems or even loss of vision.”
When abnormal blood vessels form in the retina, vision problems such as retinal damage or detachment can occur, and the condition can lead to vision loss. To date, there have only been two therapies to address this problem: laser therapy and anti-VEGF-A (vascular endothelial growth factor A) therapy. However, laser therapy can cause blind spots or reduced night vision, while anti-VEGF-A therapies also remove normal blood vessel formations in addition to the harmful formations, so neither therapies are an ideal solution.
“Using RNA interference and genetic deletion studies, we have shown that IL-33 produced by neutrophil elastase (IL-3399-270), a protein that plays an important role in various inflammatory diseases, can trigger abnormal blood vessel formation in the retina, which could be responsible for vision loss in various eye diseases,” Singh said. “Our study results therefore suggest that blocking or inhibiting IL-33 cleavage by neutrophil elastase could help mitigate abnormal blood vessel formation and vision loss in premature infants and diabetics. This alternative approach may help mitigate the harmful effects of eye diseases. We can help prevent the effects of these diseases and prevent vision loss.”
“This study is an excellent example of research that has the potential to impact countless people in Detroit and beyond,” said Ezemenari M. Obasi, Ph.D., vice president for research and innovation at Wayne State University. “This important research could improve the quality of life for many people suffering from diseases that affect vision.”
This research was supported by an NIH Center grant from the National Eye Institute of the National Institutes of Health (grant numbers EY029709 and P30EY04068), the Kresge Eye Institute (grant “Research to Prevent Blindness”), and the Microscopy, Imaging and Cytometry Resources Core at Wayne State University (grant number P30 CA22453).
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